Shuttle stitcher for forming a single thread lock stitch



April 24, 1951 c, MQLLIS 2,549,839

SHUTTLE STITCHER FOR FORMING A SINGLE THREAD LOCK STITCH Filed July 9, 1949 Patented Apr. 24, 1951 SHUTTLE STITCHER FOR FORMI NG A SINGLE THREAD LOOK STITCH Charles L. Mollis, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application July 9, 1949, Serial No. 103,848 11 Claims. (01. 112-169) This invention relates to ashuttle stitcher for forming a single thread lock stitch.

More specifically speaking, the invention pertains to a device carrying a spool of thread and a needle with an eye in its point portion, said device being grasped by the hand of the user in the operation of repeatedly thrusting the point portion of the needle through the fabric being sewed,- each needle thrust being followed by the formation of a loop of thread, the device then being fed through each loop as soon as formed, thus repeatedly tying a locking knot in a single thread stitch.

When a lock stitch is formed by a sewing machine usually two threads are used, which are locked to each other at close intervals; but with this device only a single thread is required.

H One object of the invention is to provide a device for sewingby hand which can be used with a continuous supply of thread, thus making it unnecessary repeatedly to cut off new pieces of thread and feed them through the eye of the needle.

Among other objects are: to provide an improved needle-carrying shuttle implement for sewing by hand, that will lock the stich as efficiently as it is locked in machine sewing; to provide, in an implement held in the hand, an improved means for mounting a thread-supporting spool-and for preventing over-rotation of said spool as the thread is fed therefrom; and to provide, for hand sewing, a device which, though not so speedy in operation as a sewing machine, is usable to form a greater variety of stitching, for example, basting, felling, blind stitching or invisible stitching.

Other objects and advantages reside in providing a simpler, more sturdy hand sewing implement that can be manufactured at a lower cost than prior devices capable of performing l similar functions.

Other objects, advantages and features of invention will hereinafter appear.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, which illustrates a preferred embodiment of the invention, I

Fig. 1 isa plan view of the device, with the spool installed and the needle threaded.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the device being operatively positioned, but thread and spool being omitted.

Fig. 3 is an elevation looking at the side opposite to that shown in Fig. 2, with the device in an inverted position.

Fig. 4 is an elevation looking at the right end of the device as shown. in Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a perspective view looking at the right end of the device as shown in Fig. 2, the spool being shown in its installed, spring retained position.

Fig. 6 is a side elevation, separately showing the needle proper on an enlarged scale.

Figs. 7 and 8 are cross sections taken respectively on lines 'll and 8-8 of Fig. 6.

Figs. 9, '10 and 11 are perspective views which illustrate, progressively, theoperation of forming and locking the stitch.

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary plan view of a sheet of fabric as it appears after the stitch has been applied to it.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the shuttle I5, is shown with a hollow, nearly cylindrical body portion l6 having, as viewed downwardly in its operative position, a narrowed, fin-like, tapered from extension ll, from the front end of which projects the needle proper [8, said needle being substantially level with the upper side of said body and extension (see Fig. 2). Said extension is downwardly inclined, in a convex fashion, from its front end to the underside of the adjacent end of said body.

Said needle I8 is provided with a shank I9 inserted in a socket provided for it in the upper, front end portion of said extension, an annular shoulder 20 around said needle limiting the extent to which it can be inserted into said socket, and a set screw 2! retaining the needle in its inserted position. This needle is provided with an eye 22 near its outer end and with a longitudinal groove 23 which extends from said eye back nearly to its aforesaid annular shoulder 2i), said shoulder being forwardly tapered, as shown in order to unobstruct the feeding of the body it through the looped thread, as will hereinafter be explained.

The means for supplying the thread 24 to the needle 13 comprises a rearwardly extending tubular spindle 25, there being a longitudinal slot 26 in one side of said spindle leading forwardly thereinto from its rear end. The front end portion of said spindle is secured in an axial socket provided within the barrel or body it so that the mounted spindle extends axially of said body. Said slot 25 in the spindle is utilized to provide a working movement for the free portion of a spool-retaining double wire spring 21, the outer end portion of which is hairpin-shaped, terminating in a looped portion 28 having a rounded, deflected free end portion (see Figs. 1 and 5), which is positioned to keep the spool 29, mounted on the aforesaid spindle 25, from sliding off from said spindle. Said double wire spring has a straight front end portion 3! within the front end portion of said spindle and soldered or welded to the latter. When the spool is in place upon the spindle the sprin wire member 2'1 will not project laterally any material distance beyond the spindles slot 25, but will'press slightly against the side of the bore through the spool, serving as a brake which will prevent over-rotation of the spool.

A spacious, approximately circular openin 32 affords access to one side portion of the spoolcontaining space so that the operator can give a winding or unwinding turning movement to the spool with the thumb of her right hand, the same hand which is rasping the implement. A threadpassage slot 33 leads from the rear side of said opening 32 to the open rear end of the barrel IS, said slot widening slightly toward the rear to facilitate passing the thread through it, and having a chamfer 34 along the outer side of each edge.

The thread 24 is fed from the spool out through the aforesaid opening 32 in the side of the barrel l6 and thence extends circumferentially over the outer surface of a segment of the barrel to a bridge forming ridge 35 that extends longitudinally along the side of the barrel and of its extension IT to the point where the needle l8 projects therefrom. Alongside of said ridge is a thread conducting groove 35 into the rear end portion of which the thread 24 is'fed through a short passage 3'! which leads through the rib to its grooved side. A narrow strip of intact material 38, well shown in Figs. 1, 4 and 5 prevents the thread from slipping rearwardly after it has been threaded through the hole 31 preparatory to leading it forwardly and threading it through the eye of the needle and thereupon tightening it so that it is sheltered by the groove or channel along one side of the rib 35.

The groove 23 alongside of the needle retains the thread in such a way as to prevent more than 1 a single loop being formed during the sewing operation, and also keeps the operators hand from pressing against the thread, which Would interfere with unwinding it from the spool.

Owing to the streamlined, tapered contour of the front end portion of the device the operation of feeding the entire implement through the looped thread, as illustrated in Fig. 11, is facilitated.

Describing the operation of the device, illustrated in Figs. 9, l0 and 11, the point portion of the needle is first projected through the cloth 40 to the hilt of the needle. Then the point of the needle is completely withdrawn from the cloth thereby forming a loop 24a which is then "held tightly by the thumb of the operators free hand, as shown in Fig. 10, while the needle is -pulled backwardly, unwinding the thread from the spool until a sufficient amount of slack thread is available to allow projecting the point portion of the needle through said 100p. Then the needle is inserted through said loop, the insertive movement being continued thus feeding the whole de vice through the loop (see Fig. 11) and thereupon drawing the thread taut forming a lock stitch 24b with-a knot 24c tied therein. This operation is repeated until the desired number of locked stitches have been formed.

I claim:

1. An elongated shuttle stitcher having at its rear end a barrel portion graspable within the hand of the operator, and at its front end carrying a needle with a forwardly directed point portion with an eye through it, there being a thread conducting passage leading forwardly from the interior of said barrel portion to conduct the thread to the needle, a tubular spool-mounting spindle secured axially within the front part of said barrel portion to turnably'support a threadcarrying spool, and a wire spring mounted upon said spindle in a position to brake said spool against over-rotation, a portion of said spring normally rprojecting from the horezof the spool and springing laterally into a position wherein it prevents the spool from sliding off from said spindle.

'2. The subject matter of claim 1, and said spindle'beingtubular and having a longitudinally extending slot in its outer end portion laterally from which said spring deflects against the spool at'one'end-of the bore of the latter to brake the spool against over-rotation.

3. 'An elongated shuttle stitcher comprising a manually graspable barrel which form its rear *end portion, a fin-lilze extension carried by said barrel and tapered forwardly therefrom, the taper streamlining said extension together with the front end portion of said barrel, a forwardly projecting needle carried by the front end portion of said extension and blended therewith in a streamline manner, spindle means carried by said shuttle stitcher to turnably mount a threadchannel which shelters the thread from the grasp of the hand of theoperator.

5. The subject matter of claim 4, and there being a thread admission hole leading laterally through the rear end portion of said rib into said groove thereof, the part of the rib rearward of said hole preventing backward slipping of'the inserted thread.

6. The subject matter of claim 3 and, there being a slot through the wall of said barrel leading from said opening to the rear end of the barrel to admit the thread when the spool is placed in its mounted position.

'7. An elongated shuttle stitcher comprising arear end portion consisting of a barrel graspable within the hand of the operator, a laterally narrowed, forwardly tapered extension integral with said barrel and projecting forwardly therefrom, said extension being laterally offset in relation to the axis of said barrel so that one side of the extension substantially alines with the upper side of said barrel when the device is in the operative position, there being a socket in the front end portion of said extension, a needle having an eye through its point'portion and having a hilt porting fitted into said socket,

said needle having an annular shoulder around it at the'frent end of its said hilt portion, said shoulder being forwardly tapered and combining with thefront end of said extension to produce a streamline tapered contour which facilitates feeding the device forwardly through loops of thread, and a tubular spindle mounted axially within said barrel turnably to support a threadcarrying spool.

8. The subject matter of claim 7, and said'barrel having an opening in its side to admit "the thumb of the operator to the spool to turn the latter.

9. The subject matter of claim 8, and there being a thread admission slot leading from the rear edge of the aforesaid opening in the side of the barrel to a spool admission opening in the rear end of said barrel.

10. The subject matter of claim 7, and there being a longitudinal rib extending along'the front portion of said barrel and rear portion of its aforesaid forward extension, said rib being located on the upper side of the device when the latter is in its operative position, said rib having along one of its sides a thread conducting channel which shelters the thread from the grasp of the hand of the operator.

11. The subject matter of claim '7, and there being a longitudinal rib located on the upper side of the device when the latter is in its operative position, said rib having along one of its sides a thread conducting channel which shelters the thread from the grasp of the hand of the operator, there being a thread admission hole extending laterally through said rib slightly in front of its rear end, said hole leading from said groove to the opposite side of said rib, the part of the rib rearward of said hole preventing backward slipping of the inserted thread.

CHARLES L. MOLLIS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

